fursWiPs: TMP Enterprise

[CyAn1d3]

shes a beauty!

i can NEVER seem to get colored specs to come out right, so kudos and a cookie for that!

[furswift]

Thanks everyone!

 

I hate you. Throws in the towel. Mine needs more work.

How long did it take to build that?

I started this project in March of 2011, working on and off with other 3D projects and life stuff in general and I finished all the big textures at the beginning of the month so now it's just tweaking. I wouldn't throw in the towel if I were you. Looking at your mesh makes me see things I should change on mine if I wasn't so lazy.

Thanks for the spotlight tip, Baz. I changed it and I think it's an improvement...

and yet ANOTHER connie refit *rolls eyes* it's not the ship itself, it's getting one that does decent damage.

take a close look, gents, he pulled off the pearlescrent hub panels! I don't care if it IS after-effects (the ventral foreward saucer phasers are casting a shadow), you better put a tute (tutorial) up for that.

I know, BC needs another Connie refit like it needs a memory leak, but it's such an awesome ship and a fun build, I'm surprised there aren't more. I'd like to make it as powerful as it should be for the era, but I don't know if there's a standard because there's so many different modders. There was no big trick to the pearlescents, just color spec maps and lots of patience. The tutorial DJ put up about using 3Ds Max to make textures was invaluable. Those shadows from the phaser turrets are baked into the alpha channel.

Finally, someone else made the impulse crystal orange  

Yep! I used to think it was blue until I read one of your posts over at Excalibur. Now I know it's either orange or pale yellow.


I'd like to port this myself, so that means learning how to port, which is intimidating, but I figure this ship is pretty basic so it's a good place to learn.

[baz1701]

Those reg light look spot on 

Can I be cheeky and ask you to post jpgs of your engineering hull diffuesd and spec maps. Just like to see the contrasts you used.

[King Class Scout]

I know, BC needs another Connie refit like it needs a memory leak

you mean ANOTHER memory leak.  the engine already has one
still, that spot correction is right on, you need to post HOW you got the pearly colors for the hull panels, and even I played with and did up a connie type...'cept I used a tweaked TOS to kitbash.

[Adonis]

Yep! I used to think it was blue until I read one of your posts over at Excalibur. Now I know it's either orange or pale yellow.

The Miranda's ones are blue, the Connie's ones might seem that way because of scene lightning mixing up the color that way (same as with the almost white panels of Ent-B in the ST:G scenes, but not in ST:DS9 Paradise Lost, since there she's in open space (it's the same model as was the Ent-B filming one, but with new regs and some minor lightning differences, most notably red impusle crystals insead of blue on Ent-B)). ;)

BTW, I noticed 4 things on your model you didn't do correctly  

Good thing is 3 are texture based, so it won't be an issue (they're really easy to miss too):
1) There are vertical extrusions and in front of them somewhere below the first stage flux chiller assembly extrusions right below the plasma grilles on the surface, also, on the inside side right about where that last extrusion I mentioned is there's a patch of teal.
2) There are small extrusions on both sides of the dorsal spine extrusion and red stripes fore and aft of every one of them
3) (it's the only model one, sorry) At the aft part of the strut where it meets the transition structure to the nacelle body, it curves slightly inwards (about the same height as the top of that small plasma vent.
4) The brown part of the field sensors each have 3 small intrusions on them (these are missing for now on my model, read on below ;) )

Use my own model as a basis to find these details, you have pix of it on my deviantart (just click the pix twice to get full rez) ;) but mind you, the strut curve-in on mine starts way to soon, ignore it, I'll fix that soon ;) Also I haven't revamped the aztecs and the specularity on those pix there, but the bumps are as they should be. Oh, and pay attention at the yellow stencils all over the ship, the small red ones aren't the only one ;)

EDIT: I just noticed that you didn't paint the two teal triangles around the front bottom and top spotlights.

[086gf]

Well, this is an awesome surprise! You did a great job on her.

[captainkirk1]

This looks very close to the studio model. Great work! Will there be a pack like (Enterprise refit, Enterprise-A, etc.) and if so, when would it be available on BC Files? Will there be a shuttlebay as well?

[furswift]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I'm pretty much done tweaking the model (for now ), but now I need to learn how to port it into the game. Are there any tutorials out there? Is it as difficult as I think it is? 

[Killallewoks]

Hey Furswift how the Excels go? They would make excellant companions to your TMP Connie. 

[tiqhud]

Is it as difficult as I think it is? 

Once you got the NIF and textures, it is not that hard, hard is matching HP to Nif\model

[CyAn1d3]

Once you got the NIF and textures, it is not that hard, hard is matching HP to Nif\model

wich can be a pain in the a$$ or EASY. if your scaling is correct, and youve based it off the model you plan on using the HP from, this should be simple with just some minor tweaking to the property placement.

just MAKE SURE YOUR MODEL IS POSITIONED ON 0,0,0 X,Y,Z COORDINATES, whatever axis its "kicked" to, will show in your export, and throw your property placement off.

[furswift]

wich can be a pain in the a$$ or EASY. if your scaling is correct, and youve based it off the model you plan on using the HP from, this should be simple with just some minor tweaking to the property placement.

just MAKE SURE YOUR MODEL IS POSITIONED ON 0,0,0 X,Y,Z COORDINATES, whatever axis its "kicked" to, will show in your export, and throw your property placement off.

Thanks, guys. I want to do this from scratch so I can port any ship I make. I know I need BCUT and the Model Propery Editor, but I don't know how to use them. If someone could point me to a step by step tutorial or guide me through it would be greatly appreciated.

This looks very close to the studio model. Great work! Will there be a pack like (Enterprise refit, Enterprise-A, etc.) and if so, when would it be available on BC Files? Will there be a shuttlebay as well?

Someday I'll make a 1701-A. As for the shuttlebay opening I don't know how to script that (or much of anything for that matter.) I have a surprise along those lines however ;)

@killallewoks: Starforce was working on the Excels, but I guess he's really back logged. I'm not surprised because he's an in-demand modder. I'll do them myself once I do the Enterprise.

[CyAn1d3]

Thanks, guys. I want to do this from scratch so I can port any ship I make. I know I need BCUT and the Model Propery Editor, but I don't know how to use them. If someone could point me to a step by step tutorial or guide me through it would be greatly appreciated.

browse around the tutorials section, i THINK theres an MPE tut there...  

either that or take a crack at learning it.. its not THAT much of a pain in the ass when you get the basics.. its just headache inducing sometimes from the damn bugs :argh: :argh:.

id suggest using a hardpoint as a base... it makes it ALOT easier, just place the properties in MPE and use BCUT for the rest

Someday I'll make a 1701-A. As for the shuttlebay opening I don't know how to script that (or much of anything for that matter.) I have a surprise along those lines however ;)

MVAM mate ;)

[baz1701]

If I give you my 10 cents (or 6.4 pence).

First thing I'd advise is getting your scale right. I scaled mine to wileys connie so all our TMP ships are in scale with each other  (all my connies, mirandas, constellation and excelsiors), also you can fit perfectly into the SFRD drydock with the Workbees and travel pods.

Second the working hanger deck is my copyright and I will start a law suit againt anyone copying it. In seriousness though it is easy to do. Just need to export to instances of your model, one with the doors closed and one with them opening. You can edit and use the MVAM script I did for my connies if you want and I can give you advise if needed.

[Lurok91]

Re: hangar doors, he could also go the Ftech route, which would 'animate' the opening doors ingame rather than via cutscene as MVAM. Horses for courses  ;)   I've also worked out a way you can have helm have button which would activate doors opening, for example if you were in a shuttle approaching Ent.

[tiqhud]

Re: hangar doors, he could also go the Ftech route, which would 'animate' the opening doors ingame rather than via cutscene as MVAM. Horses for courses  ;)   I've also worked out a way you can have helm have button which would activate doors opening, for example if you were in a shuttle approaching Ent.

Sounds Promising

[Shadowknight1]

Re: hangar doors, he could also go the Ftech route, which would 'animate' the opening doors ingame rather than via cutscene as MVAM. Horses for courses  ;)   I've also worked out a way you can have helm have button which would activate doors opening, for example if you were in a shuttle approaching Ent.

And you're wanting to stop modding because....?

[Lurok91]

Sounds Promising

Well it works. Kinda. In a WIP way... ;)

And you're wanting to stop modding because....?

Coz I iz tired, lol